It's Rockin!

So the other day I was JONESING for one of my favorite dishes in the world. Yes, jonesing is a strong word, but that's the best description I can give you. Sort of like the players on Celebrity Rehab who jones for media attention, Oxycontin or coke, I jones for Nobu's Rock Shrimp with Creamy Spicy Sauce. Hello, my name is Kathy and i am addicted to rock shrimp.

So my lover and I headed to Nobu 57 so I could satisfy this Thursday night craving, and in true Kathy fashion, ordered my very own dish since it was clear from the get go that I would not be sharing. At that moment, it was just me and the shrimp and there was no coming between us.

What's so special about the shrimp you ask? Well, it's all in the sauce my friends. (That's what she said). Doesn't hurt that the shrimp is fried (I speak fried fluently). But the sauce is the decadent player here. It is one of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's signature dishes and its creamy spicy sauce has every ingredient from white pepper, to grapeseed oil to vinegar! It really is a delectable delicacy that once added to the shrimp tempura, its a perfect union made in Japanese heaven.

Now, I once read a fascinating article on the sushi/sashimi food industry in Japan, and they referred to Nobu as "the Disney World of Japanese restaurants for Americans" (not verbatim BUT basically saying that Nobu isn't what the Japanese consider a model for their cuisine). At least for me, Nobu is the happiest place on earth. But food is based personal taste and on individual dining experience and frankly, I have had some killer meals at Nobu. Rock Shrimp with Creamy Spicy Sauce is just the tip of the iceberg.

Here's a treat for you. Because I am a foodie at large and not a chef (but hey, maybe you are!) Here is the recipe for the Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce straight from Chef Matsuhisa's Nobu Now recipe book. Give it a whirl. Enjoy and Good luck!

Here's to you. Here's to me.


Ingredients
CREAMY SPICY SAUCE
enough to coat 1½ lbs of shrimp
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoons sea salt
couple grinds of fresh white pepper
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
100 ml grapeseed oil (or other very mildly flavored oil)
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (Tobanjan)

TEMPURA BATTER
1 egg yolk
200 ml iced water
100 grams all purpose flour

SHRIMP TEMPURA
1½ pounds rock shrimp, or peeled and deveined “large” shrimp cut into thirds
tempura batter (as prepared below)
Splash of Yuzu juice (or lemon juice)
Chives
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions
CREAMY SPICY SAUCE
Make the by whisking together the egg yolk, salt, pepper, and vinegar, and then very gradually whisk in the grapeseed oil. Start with just a few drops of oil at a time until your emulsion is well formed, then increase the oil to a small drizzle, whisking all the while. Once the mayo is thick and all the oil has been incorporated, add the chili sauce and check for seasoning.

TEMPURA BATTER
Lightly whisk together all ingredients to make the batter.

SHRIMP TEMPURA
Peel and de-vein the shrimp, cut large shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

In a heavy deep pot (we use a le creuset dutch oven) place about 5″ of oil, and with the aid of a Taylor Classic Candy and Deep-Fry Analog Thermometer , heat to 355℉ (180 C). Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the batter and gently place 2-3 handfuls in the hot oil, fry until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Scoop shrimp onto a paper towel covered sheet tray to drain and repeat the process until all the shrimp is cooked.

Place the cooked shrimp into a large bowl with the creamy spicy sauce, and toss to coat. Splash with a little yuzu juice, sprinkle with chopped fresh chives, and serve.

That's the way the COOKIE crumbles..

This is not just any ordinary cookie. It isn't some manufactured and processed baked good for mass consumption at big chain grocery stores. Don't be fooled. This my friends, is a sugar coma-inducing, diabetically sinful piece of heaven.

This is the ever so delictable Momofuku Corn Cookie. It is orgasmic. Every bite of this cookie is perfectly chewy, with just the right amount of corn flavor. A little sweet with a dash of salty. Yums!

It's a fancy cookie. Good bye Chips Ahoy (It's not you, it's me) and hello Momofuku!
You're mouthwatering and I just want to make out with you.

Here's to you. Here's to me.

Kathy.

Live!

One of the many things I love about this city is that in every corner, every crevice of this town, there is always something amazing being created, some new life form taking shape. So rewind to a couple of weeks ago while I trekked downtown for a Latina Magazine photo shoot. In the lobby of the building, there was some sort of photo exhibit amidst a canvas of white going on. Being naturally chismosa, I had to find out what was going down in the artsy space.

First I noticed some very familiar, and eerily raw celebrity portraits that have graced the glossy pages of some of fashion's popular magazines- Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle to state a few. The images were killer. Some makeup and hair chairs were set up in the back, and well you know, that gets my attention every time.
So after a couple of minutes of small talk with a colleague from the past, she introduced me to the man behind art, British photographer, Rankin. Down-to-earth and pleasant, Rankin has photographed such famous faces as Britney Spears, the Rolling Stones, The Queen of England, and Madonna. So I was easily impressed off the bat.
After some amicable chit chat with Rankin, I came to learn that he was in New York conducting his project, Rankin Live! The introspective project takes random pedestrians off the streets and transforms them into subjects behind the lens. Quick and basic hair and makeup are done, and voila! You get the chance of a lifetime- a mini photo session with one of the biggest photographers in the world. Not one to let any of my bubbling supermodelo urges to be ignored, I jumped at the opportunity to get my 15 minutes of fame!

A little nerve-wracking and refreshingly entertaining, Rankin was easy going so it helped the nerves. From the 20-30 images snapped, he picks out his two favorites and you walk away with two 8x10 photographs to hang in your boudoir, or if you're me, framed for display in my entrance way bookcase.

To all you photographers out there! There's a starving model on the UES ready, willing, and able to be your muse!

Here's to you. Here's to me.

Kathy.